


Behind the Scenes

by Samsonet



Series: Bede and Hop [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Bede is 17, Family Drama, Hop is 16, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Leon is 23, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28179123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samsonet/pseuds/Samsonet
Summary: Bede’s mother wants to reconnect. Hop’s father wants to gain custody. Bede and Hop just want to be together in peace.Sequel toCamera Shy
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Hop, Dande | Leon & Hop
Series: Bede and Hop [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2126538
Comments: 17
Kudos: 84





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [camera shy](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21769855) by [Samsonet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samsonet/pseuds/Samsonet). 



Hop hasn’t seen his dad in years. They talk on the phone sometimes, and the man sends letters and gifts every month, but he never visits and he never says why. The divorce happened when Hop was six. Ever since, it was Lee who had that fatherly role.

It was Lee who cared for Hop when their mother needed a break. It’s Lee who provides for the family, even now. It’s Lee’s knock Hop listens for when he wakes up, it’s Lee he rushes downstairs to welcome, it’s Lee he expects to see.

It is not Lee on the other side of the door.

There’s no mistaking who it _is_. Even if Hop had never seen pictures of his father, the man looks too much like Lee to be a stranger. He has the same eyes (though his eyes are dark brown, not gold); the same sharp jaw (though his beard goes all the way around his chin); even the same weird hair fins (though his are smaller, and his hair is shorter, black and grey).

“Hoppip!” The man grins. “You’ve grown so much. Give me a hug.”

Hop does so, uncomfortably.

Mum walks in from the living room. “Henry?”

“Hullo. Is Leon here today? Oh, and I brought breakfast for us. Your dad still likes samosas, right? Let’s eat and talk.”

Mum frowns. She steps in front of Hop and pats his shoulder. “Go set the table, alright? Your father and I have to talk.”

Hop goes. He can hear his parents’ voices, muffled at first but occasionally growing clearer.

Mum: “You didn’t even call.”

Dad: “I’m telling you now.”

“Did you at least tell Leon you were coming?”

“Leon is not in the custody agreement.”

 _Custody agreement?_ Hop hurriedly gets the plates from a cabinet and sets them on the dining room table. He vaguely remembers hearing about an agreement before, but he’s always assumed the agreement was that he would stay with Mum while Dad went off to live in Kalos.

Mum’s tone sounds increasingly angry, Dad’s increasingly annoyed. Hop hopes that Lee will come home soon.

When he finishes setting up, Hop decides to wait in the dining room rather than interrupt his parents. He sits in his usual spot and waits, trying to ignore the anxious pain in his stomach. He breathes in, holds it, and breaks out, the way his therapist taught him to. Think happy thoughts.

Bede has a match in Motostoke soon. He’d sent Hop tickets a few weeks ago. With the gym season over and the Star Tournament season a couple months away, there’s supposed to be lots of time for them to meet up. In practice, they haven’t figured out when. It’s so frustrating. No, that’s not a happy thought. Happy thought: Bede caught a Spritzee recently and is training her for double battles. Hop is going to battle them when they get the chance. Maybe they can get Opal and Lee to join and make it a Star Tournament-style match…

There’s the sound of a key sliding in the lock. Hop hears it because the house abruptly falls silent when it starts. He tiptoes back to the front room, peeking around a corner.

“Dad?” Leon says.

Dad does not ask Leon for a hug. He crosses his arms and gives him a nod.

“What are you doing here?”

Mum swallows. “He’s here to help Hop pack.”

What!

“What?”

“Why are you so surprised? The agreement _said_ Hop would spend winter and spring with me after he turned twelve. I came to get him four years ago, but as I remember, _someone_ begged me to let him stay as long as they were champion. Did you forget, Leon?”

“But you… you can’t just _take_ him. He — he has a life here! He has friends! He’s studying under Professor Magnolia…”

“He’ll make friends in Lumiose. And he can study in the Sycamore Lab — I bet he’d love to meet Augustine. Don’t be selfish. I let him stay because I didn’t want to separate you two while you were growing up. But this agreement is between your mother and me. You don’t have a say.”

“I wonder if the court will agree with that.”

“You’ll start a legal battle over this? You know the tabloids will love that. They’ll ask if he’s being abused. They’ll put his face all over Chattr. Maybe I’ll ask for full custody and the court will _give it to me_. Is that what you want?”

For a few seconds, the only sound is Leon’s strained breath. He grunts, the same noise he makes when an opponent frustrates his moves in a battle. Finally he says, “Mum…?”

Mum only sighs. “We made an agreement, Leon. Your father has been very kind to allow Hop to stay for this long. Hop will be happy there.”

This is what makes Hop angry. He’ll be happy there? How would she know? He doesn’t want to leave Galar, especially with the tournament in the spring. Why aren’t any of them asking him what he wants?

He enters the front room. Everyone stares.

He grabs his bag, his team, his jacket.

His father says, “Is that everything? You might need to pack a full suitcase.”

Mum says, “Think of it as a vacation, dear. You’ll learn about all the Pokémon in Kalos.”

Leon says, “Hop. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

Hop passes them all without a word and runs outside.

“Hop!”

His family runs after him, but Hop sends out Corviknight and in seconds he’s in the air. Does his father have a flying Pokémon? He hopes not. He hopes Leon won’t fly after him either.

He hopes Bede is still in Ballonlea.

***

The league may be in the off-season, but Ballonlea Stadium is as busy as ever. Bede wants words with whoever decided the gym would double as a theatre.

No, wait. That’s Opal. Of _course_ it’s Opal.

She directs the actors to do the scene again. This play is one of the tragic romances Opal likes — dramatic and witty, but with a sense of loss running throughout. It’s the kind of play that launches careers. Not Bede’s, of course — he debuted last season and he’s not in this play — but others.

But while Opal is having fun with the actors, Bede and his team have to make everything else work. He’s on the phone with the set designers while cleaning the dressing rooms, and it’s exhausting.

“Thank you. Goodbye.”

“Leader Bede?” It’s Theodora.

“Yes?”

“There’s someone here to see you.”

He hopes it’s some VIP fan or a league staff member. He’ll even take Leon, if it means they can get out of the gym for a while.

It is not any of those.

His visitor is a woman. She is tall, with long while hair and wrinkles on her forehead. Her eyes are sad. When she sees Bede, she smiles. Bede looks blankly back at her. Her smile drops.

“Bede…?”

“Yes, that’s me. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms…?”

Her expression changes to one of indescribable agony. She cries. A spark of panic runs through Bede, but he tries not to show it. Sometimes fans get emotional when he doesn’t respond the way they want, but this… somehow seems worse than that. He reaches out and then drops his hand.

“Ms.? I — I’m sorry, are you alright?”

“You don’t recognize me? At all? Bede… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

She starts sobbing hard, wailing really, and Bede panics harder. He can feel Hatterene trembling in her ball. He has no idea what to say to calm this woman down, and so, as a last resort, he hugs her.

This seems to work somewhat. The woman holds him tightly and cries into his shoulder. She starts to calm down a little.

When Bede thinks she is sufficiently calmed, he tries to ask again: “May I ask what your name is?”

“My… my name is Brassica. I know it’s been so long, but… Bede, I’m your _mother_.”

Oh.

She’s… she is? Bede had been taken to the orphanage when he was four. He knows he had a family before then, but he doesn’t remember it at all.

Rotom beeps. “Bede! You’ve got a message from Hop! He needs to meet you and it’s an emergency!”

Thank goodness. Whether Hop can telepathically sense that he needs an escape or whether Rotom is making it up, Bede doesn’t care. He gently pulls away from the woman.

“I’ll come back and we can talk about this. But I have to go. It’s my responsibility.”

Brassica looks at him with those sad eyes. She does not try to stop him.

As Bede leaves the stadium, he glances back. Theodora and Opal are talking to the woman. Good. Let them deal with this.


	2. Chapter 2

The trees that cover Ballonlea have opened their canopies to let Hop in. Bede doesn’t understand how they know to do it, but he’s glad they do.

His boyfriend is sitting by a tree, hugging his legs. His Dubwool and Corviknight are cuddled next to him. Bede calls out a greeting and then sits on the other side of Dubwool (as close as the Pokémon allow).

“What’s wrong?”

“I…” Hop makes a choked noise. Oh. He’s crying. “My… my dad…”

“Is… did something happen to him?”

Hop shakes his head. He wipes his eyes and sniffles.

Hatterene can’t be too happy about this. “Take a deep breath. Tell me when you’re ready.”

‘When you’re ready’ takes a while. Hop takes several deep breaths, punctuated by muffled sobs. Bede sits there awkwardly, trying to remain calm himself and finding it difficult. Was there something about the stars today? Why was everything happening so much so fast?

At last, Hop speaks. “My dad wants to take me out of Galar.”

He couldn’t have done that before they started fake-dating and then real-dating? No, that’s not fair. Adults do what they want when they want, and they don’t care what teenagers think. “Take you out of Galar… forever?”

“No, just… just until summer. He has custody till then.” He sinks his face in his knees. “I don’t want to go.”

Bede hums in acknowledgement. He doesn’t know what else to say. This is terrible news. Being taken from home is terrible, being at the mercy of adults is terrible. Bede knows this all too well. Yet somehow saying it out loud would sound insincere (or worse, self-centered). Should he try to offer a solution? There’s not much Bede can do, even as a major league gym leader, even with Opal behind him. Rose would probably have been able to fix this, but Rose isn’t chairman anymore. The chairman is…

“Can Leon do anything?”

This makes Hop’s shoulders sink. He raises his head. “That’s the _thing_. He… apparently he made a — a bet or a deal or something — that I could stay in Galar for a while, but… the deal is over.”

“That’s stupid.”

“I _know_. And Lee said he might go to court, but… I don’t know. I don’t think he’d want to risk making this a big thing.”

Bede thinks about it. He considers telling Hop about the woman calling herself his mother and considers the timing that could turn the media attention from Hop’s family to Bede’s. He reconsiders. He decides not to bring it up. Each issue is enough on its own. The last thing they need is to put both their family dramas together.

“If you don’t want to go, your dad shouldn’t make you.” Shouldn’t. It’s a meaningless sentiment. Adults do what they want.

“I know.”

“Is there… something else to this?”

Hop opens his mouth, closes it. He sighs. “It’s just… before I came here, I thought about going to Gloria’s house. I can’t tell her what’s going on, though. Because if I do tell her I have to go, and I tell her it’s because Lee isn’t champion anymore, she’s going to blame herself. I know her. Even though it’s all my stupid dad’s fault.”

It’s frustrating, how Bede wants to help but can’t see a way how. What he knows about family law isn’t much. He remembers going to a courtroom when he was four, and again when Rose adopted him at ten. Wait. Who has guardianship of _him_ now? Ms. Opal? When would that have happened? He hopes Brassica isn’t going to start anything… No, focus on Hop’s issue now. Even if Hop has to leave Galar, they can still keep their relationship. It’s just a bit longer-distance than usual. And it’s only until next summer. He’ll be back in time for the gym challenge. Hop isn’t leaving him permanently, and he is certainly _not_ leaving because of _Bede_.

In the distance, a Morgrem cackles. Both boys are shaken from their thoughts.

“Come back to the gym with me. It’s almost time for tea, and the old lady will have my head if I don’t invite you.”

That, at least, gets a smile.

***

Opal is waiting for them at the gym.

“Leon called. He said to tell you boys Hop’s family — his entire family — is letting him stay here for the night. I did not ask more.” She looks at them in turn. “I trust you will tell me if there is a problem.”

“Of course. What about… my visitor from earlier?”

“I found her a hotel room for the night. What are you worried about, child? We have a budget for supporting our guests. We know where she is, and she won’t be coming back today. Now come, it’s time for tea.”

Tea is so simple yet so difficult. Opal takes on the role of leading conversation, somehow distracting Hop enough to get him to laugh at points.

Bede tries to follow along, but keeps losing himself in thought. He thinks of the time when Hop came over that very first time, when they discussed their plans to start dating in public and Bede decided to dress all nice for him. He thinks of when Leon came to give him a shovel talk, how he confessed he wasn’t as good of a brother as he should have been. _That’s right, Leon. Hop deserves so much better than this._ He thinks of Opal subtly approving the relationship and then practically beaming when Bede officially brought Hop home to “meet” her.

Bede’s whole life has been one drama after the next. Why would it stop now?

Getting ready for bed, at least, is calming. Bede has found that he likes sleepovers, as long as there aren’t too many people and he has enough space. Showing Hop where to get the blankets and pillows is distracting. Building a fort in his room is kind of fun.

But when the lights go out and Hop starts to snore, all Bede is left with are his thoughts.

Was that woman from earlier truly his mother? And why would she visit him now? It’s been thirteen years since he was taken to the orphanage. Surely there was plenty of time for her to try to find him before. Does she want money? The league pays him well; he could probably give her enough to make her go away.

Does he _want_ her to go away?

His eyes burn, and he blinks quickly to keep the tears from falling.

All those years at the orphanage, Bede always thought that his parents would come back to get him. By the time Rose took him in, he figured he was better off without them. After all, if _they_ didn’t appreciate his talent, the most powerful man in Galar _did_. Bede never asked what happened to his biological parents and tried not to think about them, but...

The tears won’t stop.

He gets up quietly — he’s always been good at being quiet — and grabs his phone and Sylveon’s pokeball.

He stops outside of Opal’s bedroom door. The old lady is snoring away. Good.

He goes to the living room and opens the curtains, looking at the dim lights of Ballonlea outside. He kneels by the window, pressing his forehead against the glass. Sylveon wraps a ribbon around his arm. Her touch is comforting, and somehow that makes it all worse. He knows there’s something wrong with him, something that makes it so difficult to form normal relationships with other human beings. He has Opal and he has Hop. He used to have Rose — or so he thought.

Impulsively, he calls Oleana.

He regrets it immediately, but he can’t hang up now. The woman is definitely awake (she’s a night person, like Bede thought he was), and if Bede hangs up now she will simply call him back all polite and professional. He is a gym leader, after all, and she is still technically affiliated with the league. They’re co-workers. He supposes it’s as much as he can expect. He may have been adopted by Rose, and Oleana may have devoted her life to the man, but there was no direct connection from Bede to Oleana. Even as he treated her like a representative of the chairman. Even as she told him what she said the chairman expected of him.

“Gym leader Bede? Is something wrong?”

“What happened to my biological parents?”

There’s a sound on the other end. Bede imagines her standing from her desk, maybe throwing away her empty cup noodles. “Why are you asking me?”

“Because you probably know. And I trust you not to lie to me.” Not about this.

“Very well. However, I can only tell you what I know.” She is quiet for what is probably two seconds but feels like much longer. “Rose loved — loves Galar. He is so kindhearted, he couldn’t bear to see a child in need when he could help. I had to explain to him that he couldn’t possibly adopt every child in every orphanage. His money and influence would be better served to support those orphanages and reform social programs. The chairman is so generous and compassionate.”

“But he adopted me.”

“Yes. You and others. Since forming Macro Cosmos, he has obtained legal guardianship over seven children, of which you are the youngest. I remember him bringing you back to Rose Tower. He looked so happy.”

She’s doing it again: implying that _Bede_ made the chairman happy, that _Bede_ was special to him. Does she realize that she’s doing it? Or is it part of her nostalgia that emphasizes Rose, and Bede is only useful as an accessory of his?

He prompts, “But my parents?”

“Your father… I don’t know how much you remember.”

“Nothing. Tell me.”

“Your father’s parental rights were terminated when he abused you.” Her voice is professional. It’s like she’s talking about someone else. “I believe he is still in prison. Your mother gave up her rights when the chairman adopted you. I don’t know where she is now.”

“She’s in Ballonlea. She came to visit me.”

“Oh. If you knew her whereabouts, why ask me?”

Why, indeed? The window glass is cool against Bede’s face. What did he think Oleana could tell him that he couldn’t reason out for himself? Maybe he just needed to hear someone else say it. She has that matter-of-fact manner that he finds calming.

“Do you think I should try to reconnect with her?”

“The chairman saw no reason to reunite you,” she says, “but of course, the final decision is up to you.”

He sighs. The night is cool and he is sleepy. How does one go about building a relationship with someone they haven’t seen in thirteen years? How do you find out if someone is worth building a relationship with? Will he have to introduce her to Hop? What did she tell Opal?

Bede is jolted back to the presence when Oleana clears her throat.

“If it helps,” she offers, “Rose was very fond of you.”

“Really.”

Rose didn’t _love_ him, of course not. But he could be _fond_ of his wards.

“He liked your hair,” Oleana says. “Apparently you reminded him of his niece.”

**

The next morning, Lee arrives in a taxi. “Good morning, Hop!”

It’s still early, and Hop isn’t in a talking mood. “Mhm.”

“Did you sleep well?”

“Mhm.” Well, he did get woken up in the middle of the night when Bede sneaked back to bed, but besides that.

“Tell you what. Let’s get breakfast somewhere before we go home.”

“That sounds good.”

“It does? Perfect!” Leon speaks to the driver, and soon they're off.

On the flight over, Hop squeezes himself as far from Lee as possible. His brother notices, of course: “Are you mad at me?”

Hop doesn’t know.

“I’m sorry about Dad.”

It’s not Lee’s fault.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t have to deal with this at all.”

Hop turns from the window, but he can’t bring himself to look at Lee. “What did you think would happen?”

A sigh. “I don’t know. If I could’ve been champion for a couple more years… No, nevermind that. The important thing is what’s going to happen now. If you don’t want to go live with Dad, I’ll… I’ll think of something. If that’s what you want.”

“I don’t know.”

“It’s okay if you want to go, too. Mum and I won’t be mad. Or — if you’re scared, I can come with you. I don’t think Dad’ll let me live with you guys, but maybe I can rent an apartment or something.”

“Why won’t he let you live with us?”

“Dad doesn’t like me.”

“Why?” As he asks, Hop risks looking up.

Lee is grimacing. He has his arms crossed. “When I was ten, I made forty times more money than he did. He hated that, I think. He and Mum used to fight about it a lot. He was never really happy with me afterwards.” He shrugs. “Always loved you, though. I’ll give him that.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Hop can see the remains of Stow-on-Side’s mural below them.

“Lee?”

“Yeah?”

“Was Dad… um… was he, you know… abusive?” He says the last word in a low voice. “To you or Mum?”

“No. Hop, I promise you, if Dad was that kind of person I would _never_ let him take you. He can be a jerk, but he never hurt any of us.” Lee reaches out, lightly putting his hand on Hop’s shoulder. “Are you scared of him? Is that why you ran away?”

He shakes his head. “No, I — I was overwhelmed. I just had to get away from there.”

“I understand.” Lee squeezes Hop’s shoulder. “You can decide whether you want to go or not. Whatever you choose, I’ll do everything I can to support you.”

“Mhm.”

“Would you like a hug?”

“Yeah.”

***

The taxi drops them off at a restaurant in Hammerlocke. Hop has only been here once or twice, when Lee got him tickets to Raihan’s matches. They have good food here, he remembers.

They’re almost done with their pancakes and hash browns when Lee gets a call. He glances at the screen. His face tightens. It would be too subtle for a stranger to notice, but Hop knows Lee better than anyone.

“I’ll be back,” Lee says, and heads in the direction of the bathroom.

Hop is glad there’s not much food left. Suddenly he doesn’t think he can finish it.

Lee is gone for a while. Hop plays with his food a bit, plays games on his phone, and goes on Chattr. It starts to get awkward sitting there alone.

Finally, Lee returns. His bangs are wet. Why did he wash his face? Has he been crying? “That was Dad. We have to go home right after this.”

“Is he mad?”

“Why would he be mad?”

“I don’t know.” Hop watches Lee stab his fork into the hash browns. “I’m scared.”

“There’s no reason to be scared. Hopefully he’ll let you stay, or maybe you’ll stay with him for a couple weeks. Worst case scenario — and this is 99% _not_ going to happen — you stay with him for a couple years and you can come back as soon as you turn eighteen. It’ll be okay.”

“Yeah…”

Lee slowly chews another bite. “I’m sorry about all this. Let me go pay the check and we’ll take the train home, okay?”

***

Going to the station goes normally. Going up to the ticket machine goes normally.

Then Hop makes eye contact with one of the station police, and he knows this is not normal.

“Excuse me,” the officer says, “are you Hop Reyes?”

Lee moves between them. “Is there a problem?”

“Champion Leon, I respect everything you’ve done for the region. I know you don’t mean any harm.”

People are starting to stare. Hop can hear them whisper to themselves, asking if that’s _the_ Leon. What is he doing here? Why is the policeman talking to him?

Lee must hear them, too. “We were on our way home. We’ll go now, if that’s alright.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t let you do that. Your brother’s custodial parent reported him missing. I can’t let you leave with him.”

“Are you serious. We were going home!”

“I’m sorry. It’s the law.”

Lee mutters something under his breath that sounds like _that bastard_.

“I’m going to have to ask you two to come with me.”

Lee looks around. The crowd stares. A couple of Rotom phones flutter about.

“Come on, Hop. Go with him.”

The station police take Hop to a back room. There is a couch, a desk, a couple vending machines. A female officer sits by the door. She smiles at him but does not try to strike up a conversation. Hop is thankful for that. He puts his face into Dubwool’s wool and resists the urge to scream.

What is his dad thinking?

If he wanted Hop to go with him willingly, this is the absolute worst way to go about it. For all his dad knew, Hop could’ve decided that he was ready to go today! They could’ve done something together, or at least talked about the situation. Why would Dad make this a bigger deal than it had to be? Is this a way of trying to scare him? To show that he had his own powers if Lee tried to do anything, even if Hop didn’t want to go?

And to get the police to take Lee…

Oh, Hop hopes that they let Lee go. It’s bad enough that people had to watch this; if Lee gets actually, for-real arrested, that would be so much worse. And he didn’t even do anything wrong! There’s no reason to get him in trouble like this. His dad is being stupid and petty and mean...

There’s a knock on the door. His father enters the room.


	3. Chapter 3

The policewoman exits the room. Hop and his father are left alone, worlds of empty space between them.

Dubwool rushes forward and bites Dad on the leg.

“ _What the —_ ”

He struggles, nearly losing his balance and falling back against the door. Hop makes no move to help him. He’ll only step in if Dad kicks Dubwool — and it won’t be on Dad’s side.

Fortunately for them all, Dad manages to shake Dubwool loose without hurting him. Dubwool huffs smugly and trots back to Hop’s side. He is rewarded with a nice pat to the head.

Dad catches his breath, then reaches down and straightens his trouser leg. There are no holes in the cloth. Dubwool don’t have fangs, so it’s unlikely that Dad is actually injured. He might have a big bruise, though. Serves him right for calling the _actual cops_ on them.

“Hop, I’m so glad they found you.”

“ _Found_ me?” He crosses his arms, glares. “Lee was taking me home! We would’ve been home in an hour if you hadn’t gotten him _arrested_!”

Dad steps forward, arms outstretched. He comes closer. Dubwool growls, but Hop holds it back with a hand on its head. He’s curious what his father has to say.

“You have to understand,” his father says, “when I woke up this morning, Leon was gone. I took the first train to get to Ballonlea to get you, but that gym leader said Leon had already taken you. For all I knew he was going to take you somewhere that I’d never find you. I couldn’t let him do that.”

“That’s so stupid.”

“Don't talk to me that way.”

“Then I won’t talk to you at all.”

For a moment Hop worries that his father will be angry. He doesn’t have a framework for this. Even when he talked back to Lee, his brother would never get angry at him. Would Dad? Leon had to get his passion from somewhere. Maybe Dad was the kind of person who got loud when he was mad.

His father sighs.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

Go? Is Dad taking him out of the region just like that? Suddenly Hop feels dizzy. Dad wanted to take him yesterday, didn’t he? And it was only because Hop ran away and Leon got permission that it didn’t happen. What happens if they go now? Who will tell Gloria and Sonia that he’s gone? Will he be able to tell Lee and Mum goodbye?

“I— I don’t want to go.”

“You have to.”

“Can— can we wait one day? I have to tell my friends I’m leaving, and find someone to watch my Pokémon, and…”

Dad touches Hop’s shoulder, then starts rubbing slow circles on his back. “We’re not going to Kalos right now. We’re going to Wedgehurst.”

This makes Hop scrunch his nose, confused. “Why?”

“I was planning to stay a few days in any case. I wanted to give you some time to… get used to things.”

“Oh.”

Hop can’t say anything else. He has plenty of thoughts, but they don’t reach his mouth. Why didn’t Dad call earlier, then? Why show up unannounced? Did he really think Lee was going to actually kidnap him?

He wonders how that would have turned out. He imagines Lee waking him up in the middle of the night with some excuse to not scare him. He imagines going with Lee to Circhester, or maybe Ballonlea, and spending a month in some off-the-grid cabin. Would Lee have told him about Dad if he didn’t have to?

His father gently taps his back.

Hop stands and recalls Dubwool to its ball. He walks back into the station lobby with his father’s arm heavy on his shoulders.

***  
Riding the train has never felt so terrifying. It feels as though everyone stares, and not because he looks a lot like Leon.

Dad keeps his eyes on him the entire time.

At the third stop, Dad says, “So… what kind of things do you like?”

“Um… I like Pokémon? And, um, history?”

Dad smiles at this. “That’s great. Did you know I work in a Pokémon lab? We study Mega-Evolution there. I would love to show you all the Kalosian Pokémon there.”

“Oh.”

“Right now we’re doing experiments about Mega-Altaria. It’s the only dragon that we know of that becomes part fairy-type!”

“That’s cool.”

“Doesn’t your girlfriend train fairy-types?”

“Wh— my _girlfriend_?”

He laughs, low and hearty. “No need to hide it from me, Hopscotch. Bede told me you were her boyfriend. Apparently it’s an interesting story, hm?”

“It is.” Hop shrinks in his seat, nervously picking at his clothes. He’s not sure why he’s nervous. “But… Bede is my _boyfriend_.”

“Oh.”

Dad looks surprised, but not angry. That’s a good sign, probably. “I guess I can’t expect you to have come out to _me_ before all this. But I’m okay with it. For what it’s worth. I still love you.”

 _I wasn’t worried about that._ “Good.”

“Does your mother know?”

“Yeah.”

“I guess Leon would’ve been one of the first people you went to?”

“He found out the same time everyone else did.”

“Everyone else?” He puts a hand on his chin. “Oh, because Bede’s a gym leader, right? Yeah, that public figure stuff is a headache. I hated it when your brother…”

“When Lee what, Dad?” Saying the word _Dad_ out loud still feels weird.

“I’m sorry. I know you love your brother. I don’t want to make you sad, you know? Tell me about your boyfriend.”

***

In Wedgehurst, Dad takes him to a small bed-and-breakfast. Hop is surprised to see the roof of Professor Magnolia’s house in the distance.

“We’ll visit her tomorrow,” Dad says. “Professor Sycamore asked me to give her something.”

Their room has two beds and enough room. It’s decorated with old-fashioned wallpaper and lace table covers. It’s probably meant for Unovan tourists, people wanting to experience romanticized Galarian country life. Dad’s suitcase is neatly placed by one of the beds. Hop puts his own bag down on the other.

“Are you hungry? I’ll have something if you are. Anything you want.”

“No.”

“Okay.”

Dad sits on the bed across from him. He puts his hands together. Pulls them apart and puts them on his knees.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you were growing up.”

Hop shrugs. He could say “it’s okay,” but is it really? He’s never felt his father’s absence, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t hurt by it in ways he doesn’t even realize.

His father continues: “I should have been. When your mother and I divorced, I wanted to take you with me. But we agreed you needed her more than you needed me. I know this doesn’t change anything that happened, but… I am really sorry. I want to be in your life.”

“Okay.” _But you still got Lee arrested._

“So. Will you let me try to make things up to you?”

“I guess.”

“‘I guess’? Well, that’s good enough. So. Do you want me to teach you how to shave?”

“Um… Lee already taught me that.”

“Of course he did. I suppose he taught you how to call a Rookidee, too?”

“Yeah?”

Dad gives a little huff of frustration. Under his breath he says, “That boy has to beat me in _everything_ , does he.”

Then, in a louder voice: “Well! How about we watch the telly for a while? You can decide what program. I’m hungry, so I’ll make something — and if you get hungry later, the food will be ready for you.”

Hop turns on the telly. He’s surprised to find it has a lot of channels. Unovan tourists probably appreciate it, perhaps. Hop himself has only ever watched programs if they had something to do with Lee or the league, things like tournament matches or that time Kabu was a guest judge on Strictly Come Dancing. He doesn’t know what kind of shows Dad would like, so he looks through the guide for a while. At last he flips to a game show. That has to be safe, right?

***

Bede and his team are having lunch when the push notification pops up on his phone.

 _Champion Leon arrested for allegedly kidnapping teenage brother_ , it says.

What.

Chattr is full of chats from people who obviously haven’t read the article. Whether lionizing Leon or otherwise, the posters are simply wrong to assume Leon was _forcing_ Hop into anything.

Bede has the full story. Bede saw the brothers leave together with no trouble.

The article doesn’t say what happened to Hop, though.

Bede doesn’t know anything about Hop’s father other than what he’s been told. When the man showed up at the gym this morning, Bede had told him Leon had already taken Hop home. He had the sneaking suspicion Mr. Reyes thought he was a girl, but Bede was too tired to try correcting him.

He sends a text. **[Bede:]** Are you okay?

 **[Hop:]** Yes. I’m with dad rn

 **[Bede:]** Where?

 **[Hop:]** Wedgehurst

 **[Bede:]** Are you going to Kalos now?

 **[Hop:]** not yet, but soon

 **[Bede:]** Is Leon okay?

 **[Hop:]** I don’t know. Gtg

Bede sighs, placing his phone to the side. He feels like he should be doing something. But what? There’s not exactly an authority he can go to with this.

“You heard the news, child?”

Opal is in the doorway, her hands curled as always on her umbrella handle. She is studying him with calm eyes.

Bede nods. “They arrested Leon. Leon! And even Hop doesn’t know what happened to him. And his dad has Hop, and they’re going to Kalos, and I just… I don’t know what to do.”

She nods. “It is difficult, I know. Especially when it involves someone you love.”

“Yeah.” Bede unties his uniform’s bow and ties it again, tighter, just to do something with his hands.

“Let me give you some advice, then.” She places a hand on her heart, something she does when she launches into her leading-lady monologues. “In times of conflict, a person generally has two options. The first is to find the source of the suffering, confront him directly, and gloriously defend the honor of you and yours.”

“And the second?”

“To focus on your own issues, support your beloved, and _do not_ do anything to make the problem worse.”

“Ha.”

Opal gives a little laugh. “Let me know if I can help in any way.”

She leaves him alone then. Bede hugs himself for a moment, then shakes his head. She’s right, probably. The best thing he can do now is try to calm down. If Hop needs him, he’ll call. Until then...

Bede pulls on his purple coat. The weight of his shoulders is comforting. In his left hand he holds Hatterene’s pokeball.

He is going to speak to his mother.


	4. Chapter 4

The thing about Ballonlea’s citizens is that they love mischief. Bede has heard stories about Opal’s shenanigans over the past seven decades, from her photobombing Mustard’s press photos for a year to the time she hid her Alcremie in the Champion Cup trophy. It’s part of Ballonlea being home to fairy-types and fairy-specialists and fairies. They may disdain open rudeness, but they cheer polite trouble. It’s why they accepted Bede so easily despite… well, everything: Bede being a disqualified gym challenger, Bede replacing the great Opal herself...

Ballonlea would never accept a gym leader like Milo or Gordie. They _love_ Bede.

In a way, it makes it easier to walk into the hotel. Even though everyone’s eyes turn to him (even for a moment), Bede knows that everyone here admires his work. They love him. There’s nothing to be afraid of.

His mother is waiting for him. She’s wearing a purple dress and a black coat, which she hugs closed around herself. Bede is relieved to see she seems to have recovered enough from the other day to wash her face. She still has the aura of sadness around her, but at least she‘s calm now.

“M-Miss?” He stumbles over the word, unsure whether calling her _Mum_ is appropriate.

“I’m here,” she says, quickly turning to him.

“Good.” He falls silent, a little awkwardly (a lot awkwardly). “Er… shall we go on a walk?”

He shows her one of the lesser-used paths in the Glimwood Tangle. The forest doesn’t let many people walk here. Bede wonders if his mother knows what an honor she’s receiving.

They walk for perhaps twenty minutes in silence. He doesn’t know how to start this conversation, and it doesn’t seem like she knows, either.

At last Bede says, “So. Do you need money?”

“Mon-money? No. I have money.”

“Alright. Is there someone you want me to endorse for the gym challenge?”

“No? I-I don’t understand. Why are you asking me this?”

Bede shrugs. “It’s been years since I’ve seen you. I assumed you came because you needed something.”

He looks away as he says it, but out of the corner of his eye he sees the woman’s face change. She utters a soft “oh,” then falls quiet.

She takes a deep breath. “I didn’t stay away because I didn’t want you.”

“Then why didn’t you try to find me earlier?”

She covers her mouth with her hand, and says nothing.

When Bede was newly adopted, he had been very enthusiastic about calling Rose “Dad.” It was a form of normalcy, something that other children had that he needed. He hadn’t quite understood Oleana’s relationship to the man, though, and he’d tried calling her “Mum.”

She corrected him bluntly, telling him in no uncertain terms that she was not his mother and had no legal relation to him. It was the last time he’d called anyone Mum. Rose accepted being called Dad for a few more months before telling Bede he preferred his title instead.

Brassica offers, “I saw you on the news. When you started dating that Hop boy. Is that really his name? Hop?”

“Yes. He’s my boyfriend.”

“You got a message from him the last time we talked. Is he alright?”

How does he answer that question? “He’s alive and healthy. He wanted to see me.”

“I’m glad.”

Again, silence.

Keeping up this conversation is so difficult. He wishes she would just tell him what she wants. Oleana and Rose were easy to understand, at least. Even Opal, with her unpredictable manner and mysterious ways, was clear in her intentions for Bede to become Ballonlea’s next gym leader.

“What do you do for work?”

“I’m a nurse in a Pokémon Center. It’s in Circhester. I’d been hoping you would wind up there during your gym challenge, but then…”

“It’s too bad. I hear Circhester is lovely this time of year.”

Brassica smiles, wistfully. “It is. The snow looks like diamonds in the nighttime. It’s cold, though. I can’t be outside for five minutes before my fingers start to freeze.”

“I have the same problem. Ms. Opal is always lecturing me about my poor circulation.”

That’s what finally breaks the ice, or at least allows them to talk for a while without the awkward pauses. As they walk Bede guides his mother toward a certain goal, a place he knows very well.

It’s a clearing near the center of the forest (as much as Glimwood can be said to have a center, anyway). There’s a small pond, with some mushrooms placed around to give light.

Bede caught his Ponyta here. Sometimes he’ll bring his whole team here to relax. 

He gently taps a couple of the mushrooms, lighting up the space. “Consider this a secret base of sorts.”

“A secret base… It’s beautiful, Bede.”

“And it will be even better soon. Just wait.”

He’s unsure if the visitors he’s expecting will appear. They know him well enough, but a stranger? They may decide to stay away simply because of her presence. He could take this avoidance as a message, but it would be an unclear one.

He catches a glimpse of a pastel purple mane.

His mother gasps (in surprise? happiness? both?) when the Ponyta trots into view. Its mane glows, glittering against the darkness of the trees.

Bede holds his breath.

“Do you think I can pet it?” his mother asks.

“If you’re careful,” he answers.

She holds out a hand, fingers together, palms up. The Ponyta walks up slowly. It looks Brassica in the eyes, holding the gaze. Then it rests its chin in her hand.

“It’s so cute. I didn’t realize they could be so small… You have a Rapidash, don’t you? I’d love to meet it, too, later.”

“Later,” Bede promises. “I’ll introduce you to my entire team.”

“And your boyfriend?”

“If he’s available, perhaps.”

His mother runs her fingers through the Ponyta’s mane. “Thank you, Bede. For showing me something that means so much to you.”

“I needed you to see it.”

***

Hop and his dad spend the rest of the day watching the telly, punctuated by some awkward conversation and snacking. Dad is more than happy to let Hop eat nothing but ice cream and takeaway pancakes, which is a plus.

When it’s time for bed, Hop changes into his pajamas in the bathroom. Dad has also put on his sleeping clothes by the time he comes out. (A t-shirt, loose sweatpants. Lee wears similar clothes to sleep, too.) He’s sitting on his bed, reading a book.

He looks up at Hop. He smiles sadly.

It makes Hop uncomfortable. “What’s wrong?”

“I just remembered, when you and your brother were little,” Dad says, gesturing with his arms on either side, “you used to sleep on me, and I held you, like this.”

“I’m not a baby anymore.”

“I know. I know. You were the cutest baby in the world, though.” Dad puts his book on the bedside table. “I used to love just holding you. You used to look up at me like I was your whole world.”

That makes Hop look down at his hands. He knows what his father is talking about, surprisingly. When Toxel hatched, Hop and his team spent a lot of time caring for it. It was small and cute, a baby. Hop used to carry it around hugged to his chest. Of course, Pokémon babies grew much faster than human ones, but…

Dad chuckles. “I know, you’re too old for that now. Can I tuck you in, at least?”

Hop climbs into bed and pulls the blanket up to his chin. “Okay.”

Dad tucks in the blanket under Hop’s shoulders and feet. He pushes back Hop’s bangs and kisses him on the forehead. “I love you.”

“Mhm.”

***

Waking up in an unfamiliar place is always disorienting. Hop thought he’d gotten used to it during the gym challenge, but when he wakes it takes him a moment to remember which city he’s in.

Dad is snoring. If he sleeps like Lee, he’ll be sleeping even if a Dubwool rammed his bed.

Hop could leave now if he wanted. He could go home, or maybe just walk to Professor Magnolia’s house and vent to her before his dad comes looking for him.

He decides against it, though. It would be more trouble than it’s worth.

Twenty minutes later he’s sitting on his bed, wet hair wrapped in a towel, mouth minty fresh. His team — he’d only brought Dubwool, Corviknight, and Toxtricity — are sitting on the floor with their breakfast.

Dad is still sleeping.

Hop picks up his phone and goes through Chattr. His “kidnapping” from the other day is still trending. He’s used to seeing his brother in the news, but with stories like this one he hates how public everything is with Lee. Nobody _needs_ to know that their terrible dad came back to ruin everything. Yet because Lee was the champion, everyone thinks his business is their business.

It looks like Lee was released with no problem, at least. Hop makes sure Dad is still asleep, then dials.

Lee picks up immediately. “Hop! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Hop whispers. “Dad’s asleep, so he doesn’t know I’m calling you. Are _you_ okay?”

“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself, and even if I couldn’t, I’ve got important friends. I’m more worried about you. Where are you, by the way?”

“We’re in Wedgehurst. At the bed-and-breakfast down the road from Sonia’s house.”

There’s the sound of a window opening. Does Lee think he can see the house all the way from Postwick?

“Do you want me to come get you?”

Does he? Hop remembers his brother’s promise from yesterday: if he doesn’t want to go, Lee will find a way to make sure he doesn’t have to.

But… it would make this all A Thing, if he did that. It was bad enough that Dad made a scene earlier. Starting a legal fight would put them all in the spotlight, maybe for months. Hop is tired. He doesn’t want to go through that, much less put Lee through it.

“No,” he says. “We’re going to visit Sonia today, so you don’t have to come.”

Dad stirs.

“He’s waking up, I gotta go, bye.”

Lee barely gets to say goodbye back. Hop quickly pulls up his Pokédex app, pretending he was only looking at Duraludon stats. He doesn’t want his Dad to know he’d just been talking to Lee, though he can’t exactly say why.

“Good morning, Hoppip,” Dad says. “Have you, ah, brushed your teeth? Fed your Pokémon?”

“Mhm.”

“Good. Um. I’m going to take a shower then, I guess. Do you think you could feed my partners, too? They’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”

He points to a pokeball-holder on the desk. Hop nods, more because he wants to meet these Pokémon than anything else.

His father’s team is made of two Pokémon, both in Heal Balls. Before he opens them Hop makes a quick guess about what Pokémon his father has. Something like Mr Rime would probably be helpful in doing research, but then so would any Pokémon with arms. Maybe a strong Pokémon like Haxorus or Seismitoad?

In a flash, the two Pokémon come out: a Gothorita and Duosion.

_Oh._

In any case, the two do seem happy to meet him. Gothorita gives an elegant bow. Duosion flips in midair.

“Hey, guys. I’m Hop. So you’re my dad’s partners, huh?”

He brings them food and sits near them while they eat. Like a lot of psychic-types, they are careful with their food and eat slowly. They seem so unlike Dad, and yet also exactly like the teammates he would have. They’re so small. How does his father have such small Pokémon?

Suddenly he remembers how small Dubwool was as a Wooloo, how small Toxtricity was as a Toxel and Corviknight was as a Rookidee. Battling is what made his Pokémon grow. He knows battles aren’t technically necessary to Pokémon evolution, but they’re one of the fastest methods. Did Dad catch these two in their current forms, or has he raised them from eggs? Do they help at the professor’s lab? Was it a coincidence that they shared a type?

Hop kind of wants to know.


	5. Interlude

Leon walks out of the train station to an audience. The camera flashes surround him and he sighs. Dad had to have known this would happen, right? Even if the public humiliation wasn’t his goal, he obviously didn’t care if he put Leon through it.

The officers had released him without a charge once Hop and Dad left. One of the perks of being a celebrity, probably: nobody wanted to be the person who dragged Ex-Champion Leon to jail over a misunderstanding. They didn’t even take his Pokémon temporarily.

He holds up Charizard’s pokeball, releasing the Pokémon above him. His partner is smart; he grabs Leon by the shoulders and lifts him up and away from the crowd.

A short distance away, they set down. Charizard looks at Leon questioningly. He nudges Leon’s side as if to ask what happened to the person who was supposed to be standing there.

“Dad came to get Hop,” Leon says. He doesn’t know what else to say.

Charizard whines.

“I know, buddy, I know.” He rubs Charizard’s neck, then climbs on his back. “Let’s go back home to Postwick, okay?”

Luckily, the flight south is smooth. In the fields below, the Wooloo play. Leon and Charizard touch down in the front yard.

Mum is waiting at the picnic table.

Leon tries to keep his voice steady. “He took Hop.”

“Oh, honey,” Mum says. “You sound like he’s taking Hop away forever.”

“He might as well be!” Leon drops onto the bench across from her, pounding his palms on the table. He flinches. “Sorry. I’m not mad, I’m just… Actually, I _am_ mad. Dad never visited us before. He didn’t even tell us he was coming. What makes him think he can just— just swoop in and take Hop like that?”

“The custody agreement, probably.”

He groans.

Mum tilts her head to the side. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset about this. You and Hop deserve to have a good relationship with your father.”

“Okay, but this isn’t the way to go about it? Hop’s not going to suddenly love him just because he’s here now.”

“He won’t know until he tries.”

He really should have expected that answer. He doesn’t fight with his mother, but they’ve had enough disagreements that he knows how she thinks. Should the family stay in Postwick or move to Wyndon? What school should Hop go to? Is that new neighbor girl a good influence? Even when Leon was a child himself, he had to make choices for the household. He may not be Hop’s father, but he feels like he cares more about his brother than either of their parents do.

Mum reaches across the table, taking his face in her hands. “My little Dandelion. I know your father is… difficult. And it wasn’t right for him to drop in the way he did. But he has the _right_ to see Hop, and like it or not, we have to let him.”

Shaking his head, Leon stands. “I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

In his room, he flops face-down on his bed. Maybe he is being unreasonable. He does have issues when it comes to his brother, he knows that. His therapist suggested it was a combination of being forced into a parental role and the pressure Leon himself had been through at Hop’s age. And that wasn’t even mentioning his (lack of) relationship with his father…

And now his father has come and taken Hop away. Are they in Kalos now? It only takes a few hours by train, less by flight.

He reaches out and picks up his phone.

The Oleana in the back of his mind tells him that this is an abuse of his position. He tells her that he’s going to call a friend to ask a favor, because that’s something functional adults do. The inner Oleana sighs.

Diantha picks up after a couple rings. “Allô?”

“Hullo. It’s Leon. I, um… I need your advice..”

She hums curiously. (He’s so thankful for her. She’s his complete opposite in everything but their passion for battling, and yet they get along so well.)

“You know Professor Sycamore, right?”

“I consider him a friend, yes.”

“Well, see… My dad works for him. He’s trying — my dad is trying to take my kid brother to come live with him in Lumiose. I know I’m probably being overprotective, but — do you think Lumiose is okay for a kid? I mean, doesn’t Professor Sycamore work with mega-evolution? That’s dangerous, isn’t it?”

“No more than dynamax ones,” she says, but she doesn’t sound offended. They’ve had _that_ conversation before.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just…” He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Dad wants to take Hop out of the region, to a place where he doesn’t know anyone and can’t speak the language, and I’m worried.”

“So… you would like me to check in on him from time to time?”

“I guess?”

“Or is there something else here?”

There’s her famous empathy and perception. Leon nods, though he knows she can’t see it.

“Our mum is acting like this is all normal, but Hop ran away the other day rather than go with Dad and then when I went to find him Dad _got me arrested_. He shouldn’t have done that, right? He’s the one in the wrong?”

Diantha is quiet for a few seconds. Then: “I don’t know your family’s situation. But it certainly sounds like he should put more effort into communicating with you both.”

“ _Thank_ you!”

“It’s no problem. I only wish I could do something to help.” One of her Pokémon chirps in the background. “Ah, I have to go now. Try not to worry, Leon. Sycamore will definitely look out for your brother. And if Hop needs help, I give you my word that I will do everything I can to help him.”

“Thank you, Di.”

“It is the least I can do, Lee.”

After he hangs up, Leon spends some time reading up on family law. Siblings usually don’t have legal standing to dispute custody decrees, but there are exceptions to everything.

The primary cause for standing is abuse. They’re not going to try that. It’s not something to lie about, and — wait.

Dad wouldn’t… he wouldn’t hurt Hop to get at _him_ , would he? 

He had told Hop that Dad never hurt them, and that was true. But the man hadn’t been in their lives for so long. Maybe he was different than Leon remembered him. Maybe he’d always been capable of it but hid it.

No, that’s ridiculous. Dad has better ways to hurt him than this, if he even _wanted_ to hurt him. He’s getting himself anxious for no reason.

He just wishes he could understand how his father thinks.

No, Dad is fine. He may hate his eldest son, but otherwise, he’s fine. Hop should get a chance to bond with him, if he wants, and Leon should let them do their bonding even if it hurts to watch.

He pulls up DragonairBnB. There’s got to be an apartment in Lumiose for rent.

***

Leon wakes up the next morning and spends an hour staring at the ceiling. Usually he exercises when he wakes up, but he just can’t today.

His mother’s words from yesterday echo in his head: _You and Hop deserve to have a good relationship with your father._

With no warning, he feels his eyes burn.

Once upon a time, Leon did love his dad. He thought his dad loved him. Then came the championship, and the money, and Dad completely changed. Mum always told him it wasn’t his fault they divorced, but… it certainly felt that way.

(“So would you say the chairman was a father figure to you?” his therapist asks.

“I guess? I did accidentally call him Dad once.”

“And what did he think about that?”

“He didn’t like it.”)

He hasn’t cried like this since he was a teenager, angry and frustrated and trying to understand why his dad hated him. Dad hates him and loves Hop, and Leon can’t figure out if it’s jealousy of Dad or Hop or if it’s anger or frustration or a combination of them all that’s making him break down.

The phone rings.

Leon clears his throat as he accepts the call. “Hop! Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” He’s whispering. Why? Leon imagines him hiding in a closet, calling for help. “Dad’s asleep, so he doesn’t know I’m calling you. Are you okay?”

“Don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself, and even if I couldn’t, I’ve got important friends. I’m more worried about you.” Perhaps irrationally, but worried nonetheless. “Where are you, by the way?”

“We’re in Wedgehurst. At the bed-and-breakfast down the road from Sonia’s house.”

They’re still in Galar. Thank goodness. (Probably?) Dad is definitely going to try to take Hop to Kalos, but for now it feels like a weight has been taken off his shoulders. Leon opens the window to let the breeze in, tasting the air, _breathing_.

“Do you want me to come get you?”

“No. We’re going to visit Sonia today, so you don’t have to come.” Hop makes a small gasp, like he’s been caught off guard. “He’s waking up. I gotta go, bye.”

Leon is left with the beeping of an ended call.

Should he…?

No, they deserve their bonding time without him.

Right?


End file.
